, 1887-07-19
INVESTIGATING.
The Government Commission In
quiring into U. P. Affairs.
They Hold a Three Hour Session at
the Inter Ocean in This City.
Prominent Citizens Express Their
Views on Branch Lines, Etc.

ohu IL. lblOIS AuuCISOu. VI LCW LULA
to act upon what was designated as the
Pacific railway investigating commission.
The duties assigned to the gentlemen
were manifold and technical. including
the examination of numerous witnesses
as to the practical workings Of the rail-
ways which were assisted by government
bonds; q~uestionings concerning alleged
determinations against individuals and
companies in the transportation Of mer-
chandise, and a thorough canvass of the
effect of running branch lines or feeders
upon the MAN road. This last PROPOSE
ton has been conceded to be the most
important to the railways themselves and
the government, while the question of
Partially to individuals in rates has a more
direct bearing upon the interests of the
people at large. The commission is no
less than the attorney for the government
in the matter of debts contracted by the
corporations.
The above commission, accompanied
by President Adams, Assistant President
Bromley and Division Superintendent
Toohey, of the Union Pacific, together
Stenographer Young, Statistician Norris
and several ladies and children, arrived
in the city from Denver at 1920 o'clock
Sunday night, and departed for the West
at l O'Clock yesterday afternoon.
As has been the custom of the commits
sion upon reaching a city of any size or
importance witnesses were examined and
testimony taken. They held a session
lasting about three and a half hours at the
Inter Ocean hotel, and during that time
listened to the statements of and pro
pounded questions to Ex-Governor War
rem, Mayor Chas. w. Riner, h. A. Slack,
ex-Mayor Reel, Marshall Smith, Geo. A.
Draper, G. N. Potter, E. Maggie, N. r.
Davis and Attorney f. S. Hebard.
Elk. Governor Warren advanced to the
rack and made a number of statements in
his usual lucid and eloquent manner. He
explained hat while no particular stock
man paid a higher rate than others for the
shipment of cattle from this territory to
Chicago or Omaha, the eastern terminus
of the Union Pacific, yet all were charged
an unjust price as compared with the cost
of similar transportation on other lines.
The ex-governor thought there was no
doubt that the only salvation of the Union
Pacific at present was the construction and
operation OF numerous feeders through
the rich country contiguous to the main
line, and that unless this was lone at an
early date the road itself would perish for
lack of patronage. .CThe Cheyenne &
Northern should be extended at once to
Johnson county and tap the great mineral,
agricultural and cattle growing section of
that portion of the territory. 1t would be
a very remunerative enterprise, he said, to
build branch roads from Laramie and
Rawlins. by this operation immense
tracts of well timbered grazing and min
eral lands would be opened to settlers who
are now kept from locating in those sec
tions by the entire absence of railway com
munication with present and prospective
markets for their products and manufact-
ures. johnson, Crook and Fremont
counties, very wealthy sub. divisions of the
territory, were lying dormant for want of
transportation facilities. The mineral
deposits in the northern portion of Wyo-
ming had been opened, but would never
be fully developed until there was some
prospect of a railroad being constructed in
that section.
Mayor Riner and Marshall Smith who
handle coal other than the product of the
Rock Springs mines stated that the COM
panies for which they acted as agents were
Disseminated against in the matter of
freight rates as compared with the man
ayers of the Rock Springs agency in this
city, that they were at present enabled to
dispose of Colorado coal at only 81 per ton
less than the Wyoming article. 1t is
greatly to be regretted hat r. S. Van
Tassell, who sells the Rock Springs coal
at this point, was not present to testify on
the subject of tariff rates.
f. s. Hetard created somewhat of a
sensation by stating that during the three
years he officiated as Union Pacific freight
clerk in Cheyenne the Rock Springs fuel
was sold to the coal agent here tor So so
per ton, and in turn disposed by him for
So 80, while the government paid $500
and s.. SO per ton for the coal delivered at
Camp Carlin, an additional haul of one
mile. 1t is a well known fact hat Rock
Springs coal commands a higher price in
Cheyenne than in Omaha and other
Eastern points, for the simple reason that
competing lines carry the coal to the
latter points.
N. r. Davis, on behalf of the board of
trade railway committee, stated that the
people of Cheyenne much desired to see
the reopening of the old Colorado Central
road and an early extension of the Choy-
ennc & Northern, The former road
would be literally patronized by settlers
between this point and Fort Collins, and
would provide the Colorado farmers in
the section through which the road masses